Apple TV+ announced only one movie coming to the streaming service this May. But Apple TV+ remains a great place to catch a bunch of your favorite movies. The streamer recently announced that it would be canceling a few of its original series but doubling down on other fan favorites like Ted Lasso and Shrinking. From the outside, it looks like Apple TV+ will be reining in production to focus on films and TV that it knows will work. It’s not the biggest streamer in the game, but it still has some great content.

The movie that Apple TV+ is releasing in May is Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. The Michael J. Fox biopic is a heartfelt look at the actor who rose to stardom as a kid and then was struck with young-onset Parkinson’s disease at the age of 29. The film was directed and produced by legendary documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, who has films like An Inconvenient Truth and He Named Me Malala on his resumé. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie won the Hope Award when it screened at SXSW. The movie is set to release on Apple TV+ on May 12.
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Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie – May 12

Apple TV+

As the trailer shows, the biopic of Michael J. Fox will do more than take viewers through the life of one of Hollywood’s most lovable stars. The movie mixes unscripted elements with scripted scenes and archival footage. It will show the audience Fox’s life through his own eyes.

Many people are familiar with the actor, especially fans of anything from the 80s. He’s most famous for his performances in the Back to the Future series and the original Teen Wolf. But Fox was an icon of 80s Hollywood not just because of his wonderful acting but because of his infectious spirit and positive attitude. The actor was known for playing younger roles well into adulthood because of his less-than-average height, but his charming personality and unparalleled candor made him a sensation.

Related: The Best Michael J. Fox Movies, Ranked

And that is what we get in Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. It takes its title primarily from Fox’s struggle with Parkinson’s. The disease affects the brain such that those who suffer from it have difficulty controlling motor functions. But the film takes a look at the word “Still” as it pertains to Fox in all its meanings.

A lot of footage of Fox running through scenes shows us that he wasn’t still while acting. “I was never still.” He says in the movie’s trailer. And despite his struggle, this documentary shows us that Fox is still the man that so many loved in the 80s. Variety’s Peter Debruge wrote in his review:

“Fox is a charismatic guy, and even though his personal story has been overshadowed by Parkinson’s disease, Guggenheim’s upbeat and ultra-polished documentary reminds what a peppy, relatable personality he was — and is — on-screen.”

The film is meant to play the star’s life as if it were a Michael J. Fox movie. An incomparable actor who always made light of his differences, Fox is seen here in some very intimate situations. Director and producer Davis Guggenheim uses an uncommon technique for his interviews with Fox and holds onto him. The camera remains focused on the actor for a time that other directors would normally cut, giving the audience a chance to see Fox at his most vulnerable and possibly at times when his Parkinson’s affects him most.

Davis Guggenheim is the Perfect Director

Fox

Davis Guggenheim is a renowned documentarian, having told stories of some of the world’s utmost political and civil rights figures. In Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, he allows Fox to tell his own story, pairing a revealing interview with staged scenes of his life and repurposed scenes from his movies.

Guggenheim draws a narrative line through the actor’s life to give us a picture of who he is. The first part of the film focuses on the part of his life most of us are familiar with. But it points a brighter spotlight on that time when Fox was still famous and acting but hiding his Parkinson’s. He tells us what it was like having been diagnosed with a degenerative disease but having to hide it from his family and fans.

Related: You Can Watch These Documentaries for Free on YouTube

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie lets us in on a deeper part of Michael J. Fox’s life. We all knew the actor struggled with illness, but Guggenheim shows us his decade-defining rise to fame, the difficulty coping with his Parkinson’s diagnosis, the love and care that came into his life, and finally, the acceptance that he has of his condition. Throughout it all, Michael J. Fox is characteristically cheerful and charismatic, and it paints a portrait of strength and positivity. The release of this movie on Apple TV+ is a gift to all those fans from the 80s who still carry that spirit with them.